Temperature sensors are deployed to monitor continuously or at intervals the thermal conditions in critical facilities or any other location. Such sensors typically connect to a base unit using a wired or wireless connection. Two types of temperature sensors are commonly used: ambient temperature sensors giving you the temperature reading of the air where the sensor is located; or contact temperature sensors which provide you with the temperature of the object to which the sensor is connected to. The base unit, to which sensors are connected, communicates over IP based protocols to applications for monitoring, reporting, alerting, logging, controlling and analysis purposes. Those industrial protocols typically get their data as a numeric or string data for temperature.
The present invention relates generally to a new kind of temperature sensor that also connects to a base unit but provides a new innovative way for monitoring temperature while still integrating in the same way with the applications as if it were a traditional temperature sensor.
Secondly, the present invention solves the issue whereby traditional temperature sensors do not cover an area but only report the thermal values where the sensor is located (ambient or contact temperature). Thermal imaging sensing technology measures temperature in the field of view of the thermal camera. It covers an area.
By using thermal imaging sensing technology, the present invention change the way temperature monitoring is done while seamlessly integrating with the existing monitoring applications. This new sensor connects to a base unit just like if it were a traditional temperature sensor. By converting the thermal image into numeric temperature data (in the sensor and/or base unit), it integrates with monitoring platforms as if it were a traditional temperature sensor.